Northampton, Mass. – October 21, 2011 – The Springfield College women’s volleyball team picked up a key three-game sweep over Bowdoin College at Smith College in the Volleyball Hall of Fame Invitational on Friday evening. The Pride won by identical set scores of 25-22, 25-22, 25-22.

The match pitted two of the top teams in New England as the Polar Bears entered the contest ranked second in the region, while the Pride was ranked third. The victory boosted the Pride’s record to 26-1 on the season, and the loss proved to be just Bowdoin’s second of the year, dropping them to 18-2.

Both teams have been in the mix of the current national rankings as well. Springfield is currently ranked 20th in the nation, while Bowdoin sits at No. 25.

Lauren Torvi finished the match with a team-best 11 kills at a .440 clip, while fellow middle Mary Consol had a tremendous match with seven kills on 13 errorless swings to go along with four blocks. Melissa McLaughlin added seven kills and Itza Nieves registered 18 digs. Molly Giannattasio directed the Pride’s attack to a .242 hitting percentage with 30 assists.

Springfield will continue its play against some of the top teams in New England as it squares off with both Tufts and Middlebury on Saturday at Mount Holyoke.